In this book, the winner of the 2008 John Burroughs Medal, documentary filmmaker and deep-sea diver Julia Whitty paints a mesmerizing, scientifically rich portrait of teeming coral reefs and sea life in the South Pacific, from hammerhead sharks and eagle rays to the courting songs of humpback whales. In this passionate, spiritual narrative of her adventures in the big blue, Whitty observes the mystery, beauty, and fragility of the undersea world, opening our eyes to the threats facing coral reefs and explaining why these fragile oases are vital to human survival.

"Whitty's prose is supple and scientifically informed, and her intimacies with the ocean's curiosities captivate."—NYTBR